olan's finest (and not so fine)

Ashley Doran~Brooke Whitney~Brooke Eckard Demoret~
Laura Wells Snow~Liz Nitz~Sarah Simmons Turner~

Stephanie Hicks Berryhill~Tiffany Farmer Durst

give or take a few 

Back when we were at Appalachian State, our photos didn't always depict the polished and refined ladies we would become...

 

Left:  "Ruff Ryders" 2002 dressed up for no reason other than Brooke Whitney and I
found these super-soakers on sale at Wal-Mart and thought we should have some fun.
front:  Mary Burr; back:  Sarah, Tiffany, Brooke Whitney, me, Laura


Right: dressed up for our annual 70s tailgate with Sigma Nu in 2004
front:  Sarah, me, Tiffany, Brooke Eckard; back:  Stephanie, Doran

and in most of our pictures together we were dressed up as anything from Rastafari to pearl-clad country club ladies; but one thing has remained the same...whenever we're together, there's no place I'd rather be (sorry Blaine...it's a different kind of love). 

During college we always said we'd have to keep in touch once we all graduated, no matter where we all lived...and so far, we've done that.  I'm not saying we all call each other up on a regular basis, but we've gotten together at least once a year to catch up and have many, many laughs.

Some of our group graduated in 2004 and some of us graduated in 2005, so ASU Homecoming 2005 was our first chance to get together post-graduation.  We took this photo and it was dubbed the "Olan Mills" photo.  We always try to get an Olan Mills shot whenever we're together now, but sometimes we've failed to find the right moment.  Here are some successful, and not so successful attempts at our Olan Mills shot over the past five years...

Appalachian State Homecoming 2005
front:  Brooke Whitney, Doran, me
back:  Stephanie, Laura, Sarah, Liz



Tiffany's Wedding 2006
Brooke, me, Sarah, Brooke Whitney, Stephanie, Liz



Sarah's wedding June 23, 2007
front:  me, Laura
back:  Brooke Whitney, Stephanie, Sarah, Tiffany

   

Appalachian State Homecoming 2007
front:  Liz, Brooke Whitney, Stephanie
back:  Shannon, Doran, me, Shea

Stephanie's wedding June 14, 2008
Brooke, me, Liz, Brooke Whitney

Brooke Eckard's Wedding June 13, 2009
front:  Brooke, Stephanie
back:  me, Tiffany

Brooke Eckard's WeddingII June 13, 2009
front:  Tiffany, Sarah
back:  Liz, Stephanie, Doran, me

2010 DYFOW (I don't have any photos from the previous DYFOWs)
front:  Tiffany, Brooke Whitney, Sarah, me
back:  Laura, Stephanie, Doran, Liz, Brooke, Shea

2010 DYFOW Official Olan Mills Shot
front:  Tiffany, Brooke Whitney, Sarah, me
back:  Laura, Stephanie, Doran, Liz, Brooke, Shea

After my wedding May 15, 2010
more chaotic than any Olan Mills photo
middle and around to the left:  Brooke, me, Sarah, Stephanie, Laura
front:  Neely, Liz, Brooke Whitney, Doran

And the whole reason for this post...

Some of us were able to get together for the third time in 2010!

Rather than going to Boone or seeing each other at one of our girls' weddings, we got together in Charlotte and shacked up at Brooke Whitney's new house (which is very nice and charming) and got to stop in for lunch at Tiffany's new house (which is beautiful).  For those of you in our group who missed this trip, I cannot wait to see you in February.  For those of you who were in Charlotte, I cannot wait to see you again in February!!!

 

At the Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte November 13, 2010
front:  Nelly, Liz, Stephanie, Doran
back:  me, Brooke Whitney



Lunch at Tiffany's November 13, 2010
front:  T's little one (incase she doesn't want me to put her name on the blog), Tiffany, T's bun in the oven,  Brooke Whitney
back:  Stephanie, Doran, me, Nelly

And since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I just want to say that I am SO thankful for each and every one of you girls and the opportunities we have to get together! (and to my law school girls...just so you don't feel left out...I'm super thankful for you, too!!)

Until February...

a tale of six pumpkins

 Just as we were headed out the door to carve pumpkins at my parents' house on Friday, Blaine walked over to the cabinet above our refrigerator, opened the door, reached inside and pulled out the pumpkin carving tools and templates we bought two years ago (I told you, he doesn't waste a thing). I had forgotten all about them, particularly since I haven't seen them in two years, and because the kitchen in our house is Blaine's domain; it's off-limits to me, except to make an Ego Waffle in the morning.  Anyway, I found it somewhat entertaining/concerning/intriguing that Blaine knew exactly where to look for something we haven't used in two years, yet, not too long ago we couldn't find the spatula for a couple of weeks, and we used it pretty regularly (eventually we found the spatula outside beside the grill).

 Anyway, since Blaine and I hadn't already picked out our pumpkins, we had to stop and get them on the way to my parents' house.  Blaine was so proud of his pumpkin, he felt it was necessary to strap it in with a seatbelt; whereas, I just dumped mine in the floorboard. However, despite my failure to seatbelt my pumpkin, it came through relatively unscathed and was in mint condition when we arrived at my parents' house. 

  

*****

Rather than bore you with the mundane details of  the events leading up to carving, I'll go from here:

We started out with six participants: Jeff and Michelle (my older brother and his wife), Tyler and Bekah (my younger brother and his girlfriend), Blaine, and myself; but with only five pumpkins.

 Well, actually, we had six pumpkins...but Michelle finished before the rest of us (really, she finished before we even got to my parents' house)...which is why she was sitting next to the fire, enjoying a glass of wine and watching the rest of us figure out how we would share one set of pumpkin carving tools (did I mention that Blaine and I were the only ones who knew these tools existed?).

Don't let her fool you though...rather than carve her pumpkin, Michelle decided to revert back to the 80s and opted to create a creepy looking Mr. Potato Pumpkin Head. 

Blaine chose the second easiest design; and therefore, he was finished early enough to help everyone else scrape out their pumpkins.

After spending an hour online looking for the perfect template (I guess the two year old books were too "two seasons ago" for them), Tyler and Bekah finally got started on the actual carving (which really worked well considering we were all using the same set of tools...well, except for Jeff, who insisted on using a giant serving spoon to clean out his pumpkin).

Despite doing things the hard way when it came to cleaning his pumpkin, Jeff implemented a very methodical approach to carving it.

Tyler and Bekah found time to stop and pose for a picture, even after getting off to a slow start.

  

Finally......we thought everyone was finished, so everyone started looking at the finished products; but one pumpkin in particular left my parents perplexed and my dad scratching his head, literally.

During the clean-up, Bekah realized part of her template had been overlooked, she didn't cut out one of the "arms" to her design, which made a huge difference in trying to decipher what she had carved into her pumpkin.  After Bekah carved the arm out of her pumpkin we had six great pumpkins in time for Halloween, pictured below:



Left to right:  Joker (Tyler), Mr. Pumpkin Head (Michelle), Ghost Busters (Bekah)



Left to right:  Mr. Happy (Blaine), Stayin' Alive (Jeff), Haunted House (Alyssa)

 

orange is not my color

Growing up in South Carolina pretty much means you're going to be a college football fan, and generally, you're going to pull for one of two teams.  You're either an extremely loyal Gameock fan, or you're a Tiger fan.  As the saying goes, we have a "house divided." I'm a Gamecock fan, and Blaine...well, he's a Tiger fan. The thing is, neither of us went to school at either, so I don't feel quite as bad about what I'm about to tell you...

Even though I might pull for help Blaine pull for Clemson on occasion (never when they're playing Carolina, of course), I've never dressed up in their colors and gone into their stadium intending to cheer for them; but last weekend I suited up in purple and orange and walked into Memorial Stadium with those very intentions.  I realize this doesn't make me sound like "an extremely loyal Gamecock fan," but it's okay because being "an extremely loyal Gamecock fan" doesn't mean I can't ever support the Tigers...especially because...come November 27, I won't be wearing this:

On November 27 I'll be decked out in garnet and black...which are definitely better colors; orange is not very becoming on me.  Blaine's brother has no problem wearing orange though.

Luckily, Mrs. Marti, Blaine's mom, is a Gamecock, too; she'll be wearing garnet and black with me when we enter Tiger territory on November 27.  Too bad Jade has already decided she's a Clemson fan.

I even promised Blaine I would do the "C-L-E-M-S-OOOOOOOOO-N, fight Tigers, fight Tigers, fight, fight, fight" with hand motions...and I came through with my promise.  In fact, I did it several times. 

As much as I enjoy being at the game, I have to admit it's easier for me to watch football on t.v.; I am too easily distracted by the band, the cheerleaders, the wave (which, I must say, I was quite impressed with the wave at the game...best wave I've ever seen and/or participated in), the conversations going on around us, etc..  The fact of the matter is this:  I enjoyed myself at the game...but it's the last time I will be pulling for the Tigers when I enter Death Valley this season!  Blaine, good luck to you and your Tigers when we come to town November 27. 

cheap wine critique

I've been meaning to post this since that night...

About two weeks ago my friend Neely sent me a text message asking if I wanted to go grab some dinner with her that night.  Instead of going out to eat, I suggested that she and her husband Eric come to mine and Blaine's house.  I also wanted Nelly (remember, I call her Nelly) to see our house since she had never been there (even Eric had been there before).  I also wanted her to see that the dish they gave us for our wedding (pictured below on our coffee table) went so well with our decor like I told her it did. (I digress...and yes, our coffee table looks kind of bare, and no, I did not put the dish out just because Nelly was coming over).

We agreed on a time for Neely to come over (Eric couldn't make it) and she said she would bring some wine.  On my way home from work I stopped by Walgreens to pick up a prescription.  While I was waiting I stopped to check out the wine selection (mistake #1).  I thought, "maybe I should pick up a bottle just incase"(mistake #2). The shelves were stocked with wines ranging in price from $2.99 to somewhere around $12.  As I searched for a bottle of cabernet I remembered hearing various friends rave about wine they have picked up from Trader Joe's for less than $5.  When I saw the $2.99 (it might have been $3.99, the point is it was really cheap)I thought maybe I had stumbled upon a little secret treasure like that at Trader Joes (mistake #3...looking back on it I should have remembered I was in a drug store, not a grocery store like Trader Joes).  So, I decided to take my chances and get a bottle of the cheapest cabernet, hoping that I had discovered something good (pictured below).

When Nelly arrived I told her of my purchase and we decided to open my bottle first incase I had stumbled upon something special (mistake #4).  I poured a glass for Nelly and one for myself, then put my nose to my glass like a seasoned wine expert and swished the wine around (if there are technical names for these practices I am unfamiliar, but feel free to fill me in on what they are, mistake #5).  Ordinarily this might be a good thing to do with wine, but not in this case. I think I may have released additional aromas and additional flavors, which as I said, in this case, was not a good idea.  The wine smelled terrible, but I proceeded to take a sip.  It tasted equally as bad, but with an added chemical aftertaste.  I told Nelly I couldn't drink it, but being a gracious guest, said she'd drink hers.  I couldn't allow her to drink it though (Blaine, who doesn't like to waste a thing, told us to pour it back in the bottle and that he would drink it later....which he did...and he doesn't even like wine). I apologized to Nelly for serving her this putrid wine and we popped open a different bottle. 

The purpose of this story is this: a public apology to Nelly for subjecting her to Walgreens wine.  The morals to this story are these:  1) don't buy wine at the drug store unless it's absolutely necessary, 2) if you must buy wine at the drug store, don't opt for the cheapest bottle, 3) don't buy the cheapest wine anywhere (unless you're at Trader Joes), 4) don't serve the cheapest wine to your dear friend without trying it first, and 5) always have a back-up for your back-up on hand incase your back-up bottle is filled with Southern Point.

Oh, and I have to give credit where credit is due... Blaine made dinner (as he does 95% of the time) on the grill outside while Nelly and I sat inside on the sofa, sipping wine from the good bottle.  Such a sweet husband!

in all fair-ness

In all fairness, I didn't tell him...

One night last week we were supposed to have a meeting at work, but when I found out it was cancelled I asked Blaine if he wanted to go to the fair.  When he agreed I decided I would slip out of work a few minutes early in hopes of picking up Blaine and leaving the house earlier, which would allow us to miss some of the traffic, get to the fair earlier, and ultimately get home earlier (afterall it was a weeknight).  Well, when I pulled into the driveway I realized Blaine was not home.  I called him on his cell and said, "Ummm....where are you?!" in a slightly impatient tone.  He said, "Sportsmans Warehouse," and asked me why I was home already.  I then realized I neglected to tell him my meeting was cancelled.  Therefore, it would be wrong to be upset about him not being home, because in his mind, he was just using his time wisely.

In all fairness, I am bigger older now... 

Getting older means gaining new perspective.  Gone are the days when the long lines of traffic leading to the fairgrounds add to the excitement and anticipation of what lies beyond the entrance.  Those were the days when you would talk about who else you might see while you're there, the rides you would ride, the games you would play and how much food you would eat.  Now, the things that come to mind while sitting in those long lines of traffic are: where will you park, what will you eat and how many pounds that might pack on, how much it will all cost, whether you are dressed appropriately for the weather, if you might get home at a reasonable hour since you have to work tomorrow, and for me, how I will sanitize my hands before I eat.

In all fairness, he came through...

Once Blaine got home from Sportsmans Warehouse we got in the car and headed towards the fair.  We were a few miles from the fairgrounds when we encountered significant traffic.  So while we were sitting there in line Blaine told me he arranged parking for us.  Still slightly miffed by the fact that he wasn't at home and ready to go when I got there (yes, I realize it is my fault for not telling him about the cancelled meeting) I told him it didn't matter because everyone could park for free in the fairgrounds lot.  As we finally made our way to where we could see the fair entrance the frighteningly long lines to the entrance Blaine pointed in the direction of the lot where he arranged our parking.  I pulled into the lot and quickly realized we had hit the fair parking jackpot.  We ended up in a lot that backed up to several rides and we were able to walk right into the fair, rather than wait in what appeared to be the longest line I've ever seen.

In all fairness, it wasn't completely terrible...

As if we didn't have enough potentially artery clogging options to choose from, the "food" vendors at the fair this year decided to add  this little gem to the assortment of unhealthy choices:  the Doughnut Burger. 

Yes, this means instead of regular hamburger buns, doughnuts would be the "bread" of choice for hamburgers this year at the fair.  And the doughnut of choice...none other than Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.  And yes, my husband was dying to have one.  Er go: this expression... while he patiently waited for his special treat  (actually, this was not his initial expression...he was slightly embarrassed by the fact that I was taking his picture, so this is the one taken after I told him to "look excited"):

And proof that he ate it is right here, the first bite.  He was so pleased with the taste of this fair masterpiece, he let out a "hell yeah" (quietly) as if he had just conquered a difficult task.

and look closely at the "bun"

So, just so I could say I tried it, I took a bite.  Here is my critique:  If you went to Waffle House and ordered a hamburger patty and mixed it with an assortment of other ingredients and sprinkled all of them with sugar, you have mastered the flavors of the Doughnut Burger.

In all fairness, it is fungus made in a caboose.

While Blaine's plan was to indulge in the Doughnut Burger, my food of choice was fried mushrooms.  It took quite a bit of searching and walking in a few circles before we finally found a vendor selling these little fried hunks of goodness. 

For those of you who detest mushrooms, this does not excite you I'm sure.  (I have a theory about people who like mushrooms; therefore, I also have a theory about those of you who do not like mushrooms...so I can only let you in on that secret if you actually like them, too.) 

After Blaine got this shot of me holding my coveted fair fried mushrooms I dug right in...only to be somewhat disappointed.  They were not nearly as good as I remember them being.  I chalk my disappoinment up to the fact that either the food was never that good and I've gotten older and now have the wisdom to realize it, or that it's because it was fungus cooked in a caboose.

In all fairness, young or old, good food or bad mediocre food, the South Carolina State Fair is definitely a great way to kick off the fall season.

"how's married life?"

Forget the story about the side-by-side photos in the previous posting for just a minute because I have something else on my mind right now.

I have often asked newly married friends, and more recently been on the receiving end of the question, “So, how’s married life?”  (how long after you are married do people continue to ask this question…I’ve never heard anyone ask my parents how married life is treating them? And how do married people not already know the answer to this question?!?...are they trying to rub it in that it’s not always as blissful as you dreamed it would be?!?....I really do enjoy being married…these are simply my thoughts)  

Simple question right?  Maybe, but it comes with a not so simple answer.  Since this blog is partially intended to follow mine and Blaine’s marital journey I thought I’d share with you my latest struggle…

At first when people asked me the “how’s married life” question, I would reply honestly, with “great.”  It is a lot of fun being married to your best friend, BUT it has also been quite the adjustment. These days many couples live together before they are married to test the waters; and I definitely see how this is a prudent decision.  However, Blaine and I decided to get married before we had the opportunity to decide whether or not we enjoyed living together.  (we do, most of the time...when the house is clean and the laundry is done) After the honeymoon my friend Lindsey would ask me “the question” and I would tell her truthfully, that it was great and the only thing Blaine and I had to argue about was shower curtain related.  (Neither of us understood the other’s rationale for pulling the shower curtain to a particular side when exiting the shower, nor could we agree on which way was best.  We have since resolved this issue by opening the shower curtain back up to the “during shower” position upon exit in order to let the water run off and prevent mildew….anway.)  Fast forward 3 months and Lindsey asks if the shower curtain issue continues to be our sole argument.  The response was, “nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, NO!!”  (Now, let me say this…Blaine and I are fine and happily married…so don’t worry!!) 

Of course, when you get married one important topic is whether or not you will join financial forces.   One of the first things we did after tying the knot was open a joint checking account.  The plan was for us to both maintain a separate checking account for our “allowance,” which we could spend on whatever we wanted with no scrutiny from the other party.  The joint account is  was (probably still IS) for us to pay all bills, household expenses, dining out, etc.  The plan also included a savings provision; a good chunk of our joint money was is to go into savings.  However, so far the “savings” portion has failed to meet my expectations.  Even though I can see on our bank statements where the money is going, I do not know where it is going!!!!! 

So, today I have come up with a plan….a roommate style savings plan. You can probably figure out what this means, so rather than boring you with the details of my plan, I will explain my rationale for it...in addition to what I’ve already explained.

1.  I can live off of very little.  (I am very frugal, which is one of the many, many things I got from my father) One of these examples I feel silly about…guess which one… (actually I feel kinda silly about 2 of them; but one more so than the other) 

Example A: during college I participated in an unpaid internship at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and had to move from Boone, NC to Charlotte NC for the summer.  I got an apartment in Charlotte (and was still paying my rent in Boone, btw) and one weekend my friend Brooke Whitney came to visit me.  In my efforts to keep my bills to a minimum (and I mean minimum) I instructed Brooke not to turn on any lights until I got back to the apartment.  If anyone wanted to enjoy the luxury of light…they were going to do it when I was there to enjoy it with them.

Example B:  when I was in law school I had a townhouse close to downtown Greensboro, NC.  The electric bill covered the electricity that powered the air conditioner and the hot water and heat was through the gas company (there is quite possibly a better way of explaining that).  When I got my first true heating bill I about had a melt down.  I decided to boycott the gas company…I’d show them.  I turned my heat off for a month until my house was between 55 and 60 degrees and I couldn’t stand it anymore.  I showed 'em alright...all $135 in savings...I bet they had an efficiency meeting about that.  But you see, the point is...I am willing to go without heat.

Example C:  also when I was in law school (law school doesn’t pay…in many ways, but I won’t go there today) I had digital cable on two televisions, both with DVR (like I needed all that), internet and digital phone for the first two years.  Then for my third year I decided $150/month was a rip-off.  I turned off my cable, internet and phone.  Many of my friends were positive I wouldn’t last more than a month without these luxuries.  However, between renting no fewer than 3 movies at the Redbox each weekend, watching The Best of ‘Friends’ (I never got in to Friends when it was on tv, and I’m not even sure how I got the ‘best of’ disc set, but now I could tell you pretty much every word on each episode contained in the 'best of' box set), Jenzilla coming to my house nightly, my neighbor Andy and my next door neighbor who gave me their wireless internet password, I made it the entire third year without cable.  Not only did I not have cable though, I didn’t even have bunny ears to intercept local channels.  Hence, I can go without tv and enjoy the pure entertainment I provide for myself.

2.  I don’t need to eat as much as Blaine; nor do I spend $30 on a hunk of meat.  Since we married and started living together, Blaine and I have consistently spent a certain amount on groceries.  One weekend we were going out of town to visit some of my law school friends so I instructed told Blaine we didn't need to go to the grocery store before we were leaving for the weekend.  (I realize it wasn't like we were leaving for a week, but I still didn't think we should go until we got back)  So Blaine goes to the store anyway and gets our normal amount of food, including a $30 hunk of meat.  He was so proud of himself; and I was less than thrilled.  (If you have ever seen me eat any piece of meat, you know why I could do without....possibly a tale for another day...and this example is pretty pathetic, but I share it nonetheless)

3.  I have the motivation to save.  It’s in my blood.  I have always been kind of a money-hoarder.  It's like I enjoy collecting it.  I really don't care about saving it for anything in particular, I just would rather keep it than spend it.  Right now though, I do have a purpose for my savings and I was hoping Blaine was on board.  He is actually on board in theory, not so much in practice.

So, since neither of us can figure out where our money is going...I will take it upon myself to hoard save the good chunk.  One more marital problem resolved pending success. 

teaser...just to keep the interest

Story to follow...

the start of something new

Since this is my first real post, I thought I should explain how this blog came about...

I was inspired to create a blog for a number of reasons...1. my search for an inexpensive creative outlet, 2. my friend Brooke's very humorous blog about her move to Australia (and I thought I might be funny too), 3. other friends who have the most adorable children and/or great cameras whose blogs I enjoy reading/perusing the great photography (I thought, "one day I might have a nice camera and/or a cute child"), 4. as a way to expand my already extensive vocabulary (I'm being somewhat sarcastic, but I might throw a new word in here and there), and 5. since I just married Blaine 118 days ago I thought it might be a fun way for us (mainly me, I don't expect Blaine to ever write anything) to document the marital journey (without getting too personal, of course).

Now that I've shared my inspiration for starting this blog I have to admit I'm not really sure what to write about (see, I'm already losing points in the humorous blog category). Although, I must say I am pretty excited about the whole blogging thing now that I have the page "decorated" to my satisfaction.  In true Haladay (that's my maiden name...it's very strange to hear myself say that) fashion, I conducted a little "research" before I dove head first into the world of blogging.  I reached out to fellow blogger, Jessica (whose blog is, among other things, wonderfully "decorated," covered with great photos of her beautiful family, and includes some funny quotes from her young son) to figure out how to make my page "cute."  Then I came up with a corny name for the blog (if I was still a Haladay, I would have named it "Haladay.....Celebrate" because the way it sounds in my head reminds me of good times in Boone-another story for another day when it is otherwise relevant).  I told my new husband Blaine about my blogging intentions.  With a perplexed, and somewhat concerned expression on his face, he asked me why I wanted to become a blogger (maybe he was concerned that it would be difficult to blog without a computer--I'll get to that later).  My response was, "I don't know," with a slightly defeated tone.  His next question was "what are you going to write about?"  My response to that question, too, was a more defeated sounding "I don't know" and a sigh.  A few days later I went to dinner with my friend, Neely. (a sorority sister from Appalachian State who now lives in Columbia with her husband)  I told her about my blogging intentions.  She too wondered what I would write about.  I again replied with "I don't know."  I then explained the great adversity I might face in executing my blogging intentions, mainly due to the fact that Blaine and I do not have a computer at our house (all electronics I touch eventually turn to mush, and no computer I touch lasts longer than three years, but my parents live close by and I can use their computer, no worries).  I also explained to her my intention to post photos and such on my blog. She seemed to understand my long-term blogging plan. However, she soon discovered that the long-term plan explanation came with a disclaimer.  I told her, "but you see Nelly (I call her Nelly), I really don't even have a camera." (actually I have 4 cameras, but all of them have some impediment that precludes me from using any one of them regularly...but as you will see, I will figure out some way to post photos on this blog so that it is not just page after page of my ramblings)  So, after explaining the defective camera situation (see, all electronics turn to mush) Neely's only response was, "Oh, Hala," (my friends from App call me 'Hala'-short for Haladay) followed by a slight sigh, a disapproving head shake and a slight smirk (like deep down she really hoped to one day read my blog....I think Nelly would enjoy it actually) Despite Nelly's lack of enthusiasm for my blog, the lack of workable cameras, and lack of computers, I decided to move forward with my plan.  At some point during my blog planning I created the actual page, showed it to Blaine, and told him my next move was to decide on a post topic.  I discussed two potential topics with him and both were quickly rejected. Then I thought, "I can't just have a blog out there floating around the internet and never write anything."  A day or two passed and I decided to come up with a topic on my own....that's until I went back to Jessica for blog advice.  She told me to write like I'm talking to a friend; but because I don't have any followers yet, I decided to write like I am talking to myself (interesting thought). And since I don't have anything else to say about whatever it is I have just written about I will treat you (aka anyone out in the blog-o-sphere who might be inclined to read all of this) to a couple photos (I told you, whoever you are, that I would make it happen) of some artwork by my talented younger brother Tyler, as a little treat and in appreciation for your undivided attention while reading the conversation I just had with myself. :)